Quick answer: Get essential north stars for strategic business growth planning: achieving eight-figure revenue and building A-team. Learn to cultivate a high-performing team.
By Andreas Petterson, founder of Leaders ADAPT and a former Canon executive who has built and scaled multiple companies.
Operating a business properly means having a North Star (AKA a clear direction and purpose) to keep you on track and moving toward a goal, otherwise, it’ll feel like you’re shooting arrows aimlessly in the dark. Without a tentative plan, you don’t actually have anything. When it comes to business expansion and growth, there are two glaringly bright north stars that you absolutely need to drive toward: one involves figures, and one involves your team.
The 8-Figure “North Star”
If you had to choose a number, what would you say the North Star is in terms of money? Six-figures? Seven-figures? Wrong. Seven-figures is great, but eight-figures is what creates real change and opportunity. If you’re aiming below eight-figures, it’s time to think bigger.
Setting an eight-figure revenue goal reflects a broader vision for business expansion, impact, and long-term sustainability. It isn’t just about the income, it’s about the company’s and employees’ mindsets that get curated during that level-up. At eight-figures, a company can invest in more innovation and resources, leading to greater market influence and brand recognition. On top of that, it signals a commitment to creating more jobs and providing better services. In essence, aiming for eight figures serves as a stretch goal that drives a company to build stronger foundations and reach new markets, all while sustaining growth.
The A-Team North Star
Beyond the figures, and in part to get to those figures, you need to focus on a second north star: your employees. If you want to lead your company, rather than work in it, then you need to build an A-team to scale efficiently and effectively. The team that got you to six-figures isn’t the team that got you to seven-figures, and it won’t be the team that gets you to eight-figures.
So what kind of people make an A-team? Company-first team members. Forward-thinkers. People with high levels of emotional intelligence.
Your team, and who you choose to be on your team, directly impacts the company’s success, resilience, and adaptability. These are the kind of team members who can communicate well, handle stress effectively, and support each other, creating a productive and positive work environment. This not only boosts performance but also fosters innovation and trust, allowing the organization to thrive even in challenging times. When teams are highly skilled, hardworking, and emotionally attuned, they can navigate complex problems, adapt to change, and work toward shared goals with greater cohesion and purpose. Only after investing in a team comprised of these people can you rise above day-to-day operations to focus on the vision rather than the logistics.
Expansion and Business Growth Consulting
If you want to know how to expand your business, here is the ultimate key: don’t make aimless decisions. Make moves with purpose. Focus on these two north stars. Create a plan with short-term and long-term goals to reach eight-figures. Build your A-team. And know that you don’t have to do it alone. You can find the right mentor to invest in for business growth consulting or coaching. Someone who has walked the path before will not only help you get clear on how to walk toward these two north stars but will help you actually reach them.
Conclusion
As you strive for business expansion, focusing on these two north stars, achieving eight-figure revenue and building an A-team, is essential. By setting ambitious yet attainable financial goals and cultivating a high-performing, emotionally intelligent team, you position your company for sustainable growth and long-term success. Remember, clear direction and a strong team are the cornerstones of effective business expansion. Embrace these guiding stars, and watch your business reach new heights.
Ready to navigate your business expansion with clear goals and a stellar team? Book a Free Consultation to explore how business growth consulting can help you set strategic objectives and build an A-team that drives your company forward.
How to set a North Star that actually pulls the company forward
A North Star only works if it is specific, ambitious, and visible to the whole team. Vague goals like grow or do better give people nothing to align to. Pick a number and a date that would genuinely change what the business is, then make every quarter ladder up to it.
The second North Star: your team
Revenue is only half of it. The other North Star is whether you are building leaders who can run the company without you. If growth depends on you touching every decision, you are the ceiling. Escaping that means deliberate founder-to-CEO delegation systems and a real leadership development plan for your team.
Why you should not aim there alone
Eight-figure thinking is hard to sustain in your own head. Leaders who hit bigger goals usually do it surrounded by peers operating at the same altitude. That is the value of a CEO Mastermind: the room raises your sense of what is normal and possible.
Frequently asked questions
What is a business North Star?
A clear, specific direction and goal that keeps the whole company aligned and moving, instead of working hard with no shared destination.
What revenue goal should a growth-focused CEO aim for?
Aim higher than feels comfortable. Eight-figure thinking forces the systems, team, and delegation that smaller targets never require.
How do you grow without becoming the bottleneck?
Build leaders and delegation systems so the company can run without you touching every decision. Growth that depends on the founder caps out fast.
To go deeper, read what-is-leadership-ceo-definition-that-scales, and leadership-theories-models-that-work-for-ceos.
